The U.S. House of Representatives today approved the fiscal year 2014 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 2609) on a vote of 227-198. The legislation provides annual funding for national defense nuclear weapons activities, the Army Corps of Engineers, various programs under the Department of Energy, and other related agencies.

The bill totals $30.4 billion – a cut of $2.9 billion below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level and $4.1 billion below the President’s request. This level is approximately $700 million below the level caused by sequestration.

“Our priorities were clear as we drafted this bill: Support programs that have a direct benefit on our national security, American commerce, and the safety and well-being of the American people. This legislation prioritizes funding to maintain our nuclear weapons and ensure the safety and readiness of the nation’s nuclear stockpile, and invests in essential infrastructure projects to enhance safety and encourage commerce. To do this while staying within our current budget constraints, less efficient, less effective programs had to be cut,” Chairman Rogers said.

Energy and Water Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen also commented on the legislation.

“The budget allocation we received this year made for some very difficult decisions, but in our bipartisan tradition we worked hard to incorporate priorities and perspectives from both sides of the aisle. The bill places the highest priority on national defense, Army Corps of Engineers, and other activities on which the federal government must take the lead. It recognizes our fiscal realities, and makes the tough decisions to ensure we get our spending under control without sacrificing our most critical of federal functions,” Frelinghuysen said.